Chasing Daylight
by PerfectImperfection85
Summary: Sequel to Something of Value. Currently being re-written! See Author Note
1. The Battle of Evermore

_An – Ok guys I know it's been like forever since Something Of Value but life kinda got in the way a bit. So anyway, here's what you need to know…_

_Basically this is the sequel to Something Of Value. If you haven't read that yet, you'll need to otherwise you won't understand the plot. SOV was mainly focused on my OC Cassie and her relationship with her family since returning from boarding school… and then of course the whole Dan and Keith feud. This story is going to follow on from that however the other character's will be getting storylines of their own as well so that they are all included. _

_So to the shippers out there, yes that does indeed mean that you'll be seeing a __**lot**__ more Keiren, Naley, Brucas and Jeyton in this one, as well as a lot of the core friendships Breyton, Leyton, Baley, Laley, Paley, Pathan, you get the drift. I wanted to try and focus on the whole gang this time rather than just the one character. But having said that I do enjoy writing Cassie, since she's my own character and the most like me. Lol._

_Please feel free to leave comments and criticism (of the constructive kind! Lol). I like to hear opinions so I know what it is that you guys want to see. That way I can do my best to please as many of you as possible._

_So here we go….. Hold on to your seats, it's gonna be a bumpy ride._

Chapter 1 – The Battle of Evermore

Darkness surrounded him entirely, the only light coming in the form of an eerie red glow from the few lights that were scattered randomly around the corridors. His right hand tightened on the grip of the gun, as he gingerly felt his way along the wall with his left.

Beads of sweat slid slowly down his brow. Jeez it was hot in here. He couldn't remember it being this hot the last time he was here, though he had to admit it had been a long time.

A noise from behind caused him to spin around quickly, readying the gun, his finger poised carefully on the trigger. Much to his disappointment, all he saw was a narrow and very empty corridor. Nevertheless, the noise had not been a figment of his imagination.

He smirked to himself as he began to move back in the direction he'd originally come from. He was closing in on her. He could feel it.

Somewhere within the depths of his mind, a voice reminded him that she was not the only person he was looking for. There was another person that he very much wanted to find. But she was the one he really wanted. And when he found her, she would pay.

He stopped abruptly as he realised that he'd almost stepped out into an open corridor. Flattening his body against the wall, he carefully peered around the corner, his eyes darting around nervously as he checked every corner and crevice he could see in the poorly lit room.

Empty. No-one in sight.

Releasing the breath that he hadn't been aware he was holding he slid around the corner, hugging the wall as though it was a lifeline.

His footsteps were silent, so when he heard a very faint squeak of shoes against marble, he knew that it hadn't come from him. And when he heard it a second time, he smiled. He was close.

The voice in his mind spoke up once again, warning him that it could very well be another person's footsteps he was hearing. And that would ruin his whole plan. He knew that he needed to find her first. Because once he had her, his other opponent would come rushing to her aid. And when they did, he would have his victory.

He paused for a moment, trying to gage an idea as to whom the footsteps belonged. A moment later, he had his answer.

A piercing alarm rang out, and the gun fell from his grip as his whole body began to shake involuntarily.

"Gotcha!" A voice spoke, and he looked up into a pair of very amused blue eyes.

"Dammit! I almost had you!"

"Ha! Yeah right. Three hits mean you're out buddy. I guess that's game set match to us."

Lucas scowled playfully at his sister as he removed the electronic vest he was wearing. "I want a rematch. Where is your partner in crime anyway?"

"Mom bowed out gracefully about the same time that I eliminated daddy dearest. She knew I wanted to kick your ass myself."

He rolled his eyes and threw an arm around her shoulder loosely as they made their way toward the exit. "You're evil, you know that?"

The devilish smirk on Cassie's face was a sight for sore eyes to Lucas. Since the incident with Dan he'd promised himself that he would spend a lot more time with his little sister, mostly because the thought of almost losing her made him realise how important it was to spend as much time as possible with the people you love. But also because the moment he'd found her on the floor of the high school, shaking in his father's arms, he'd made a silent promise to himself that he would protect her, with his life if necessary.

"Uh, why are you looking at me like that?"

Her voice startled him from his thoughts. "It's just good to see you smiling that's all."

She turned away from him momentarily as they handed the laser gun and vest back to the assistant. "You're such a dork Lucas Scott."

He feigned a hurt expression. "Oh! So that's what I get for trying to share a nice moment with my sister huh? You really need to learn how to take a compliment."

"Alright alright." She turned serious for a moment. "I have to admit it feels pretty good to be able to just go out and have fun again. However…" She crossed her arms and stared him down. "do not for one second think that I haven't noticed you and Dad watching me like a hawk from sun up to sundown."

He bowed his head sheepishly as they walked. He really hoped that he'd been more inconspicuous than that, but he realised he should have known better than to think Cassie wouldn't notice.

"Uh…well I… we just…"

She gave him a moment to stumble over his words before she decided to put him out of his misery. "It's ok. It's actually kinda nice to know that you guys are looking out for me. But seriously, I'm fine. You really don't have to worry."

"I'm your big brother. It's my job to protect you." he defended.

"Yeah but Lucas, you almost killed a guy just for hitting on me." she teased. "Granted he was a jerk but…"

"No buts Cass. The guy was a sleaze."

"I wasn't going to defend him. What I was going to say was that I could have handled it myself." she smirked, remembering the night clearly.

"_Are you sure you'll be ok?"_

_Cassie rolled her eyes in mock frustration. "Lucas for the millionth time I'll be fine. It's not like you're leaving the club. Go dance with your girlfriend would you?"_

"_Yeah ok but…"_

"_Brooke!" Cassie interrupted her brother by yelling for his girlfriend._

_The girl in question bounced over in her usual tigger-like manner reminding Cassie why Haley had given her the nickname in the first place._

"_What's up?"_

"_Would you please drag my brother here away to dance? I'm gonna need surgery to have him removed from my hip soon."_

_After a little "gentle" persuasion, Brooke managed to prise her boyfriend away from his sister's side, much to Cassie's relief. She loved him dearly and she had to admit it was pretty awesome to know that he was there to protect her, but he was beginning to drive her slightly insane. She reasoned that it had only been a month since the whole thing with Dan had come to a head and she knew that Lucas still blamed himself for what happened, despite her attempts to convince him otherwise. So she tried her best to be understanding, but she had to let him know that she was ok on her own, even if some days it wasn't exactly the case._

"_Hey there sweetie." _

_An unfamiliar voice broke her from her thoughts. She turned her head in the direction the voice had come from and her eyes met a face that she didn't recognise. The guy looked to be around his early to mid twenties. He was slightly taller than Lucas with a shaved head and a goatee. He might have been attractive but the sleazy smirk that he wore on his face instantly put Cassie off._

"_Hi." she replied politely, turning her head away in a manner that could only be taken as dismissive. She had just quite obviously given him the brush off. Most guys would've picked up on it instantly. But apparently he wasn't most guys._

"_So you here on your own?" He slid into the booth next to her as he spoke, leaning a little too close for her liking._

"_Look, I don't know what pick up school you went to, but in most cultures it's quite obvious when a girl is giving you the brush off."_

"_Aww don't be like that baby. There's no need to play hard to get." _

_His fingers brushed her arm quite intentionally and she felt her temper rising._

"_Back off asshole I'm not interested." _

_She stood from the table and moved to brush past him but as she did he stood and caught hold of her wrist. She was about two seconds away from breaking his jaw when he was roughly shoved away from her by a very pissed off Lucas._

"_I believe her words were; Back. Off. Asshole." He pronounced each word slowly, as if speaking to a small child._

"_Lucas… don't. Come on it's ok." she assured, trying to stop him from causing a scene before her parents noticed._

_Too late. _

_Keith, who had witnessed Lucas shoving the guy but missed the reason why, approached the group. "What's going on guys?"_

"_Nothing Dad it's fine. Lucas seriously it's not worth it."_

_Lucas, however, hadn't finished getting his message across and grabbed the guy by his collar. "When a girl tells you to back off, you back off jackass. If I catch you within ten feet of my sister again they'll carrying you out of here. You get me?"_

"_Come on dude. Just cause she's your sister, doesn't mean she's all innocent. A girl dresses like that, she's looking for some action…."_

_His sentence was abruptly cut short when Keith stepped forward, shooting him a threatening glare. "Except that this particular girl asked you to back off. Now I'm gonna give you two choices, you can walk away on your own, swallow your pride and laugh this off later, or I can personally show you where the door is, if you know what I mean."_

_The guy held up his hands, realising that he'd pushed his luck too far. Brushing past the group, he headed for the door._

_Cassie turned to her brother, smirking. "Were you protecting me or him?"_

"_Technically you but I guess I unintentionally did him a favour huh?"_

"_Damn straight."_

Lucas laughed at the memory as the pair ascended the stairs to the food court where they had arranged to meet their parents. "I shudder to think what would've happened to the poor guy if I hadn't stepped in."

"Let's just say I was about to give him an extreme makeover."

"Alright I get it, you can look after yourself, but humor me ok? Like I said it's my job to be protective, so you're just gonna have to get used to it."

…………………………………………….

"Come on Peyton. You'll get used to it after a while."

"No! No way! Brooke, it's ugly! We're not keeping it in the living room."

A week after Keith and Karen's wedding, Peyton's dad had announced that he'd been offered an extremely well paid job in the Florida Keys. The only catch was he'd need to be there permanently, which meant moving.

Peyton had been disappointed at first, but once she got used to the idea, she had told him that he should go for it. She was old enough to look after herself now and besides, she wouldn't be alone, although at the moment she was questioning whether that was a good thing.

When Brooke had found out that they were going to have the house to themselves, she had gone on a rather extravagant shopping spree, reasoning that, if she was going to live there permanently, she needed some of her own things. Peyton, of course, relented, though she was now wishing with every fibre of her being that she hadn't. Brooke had apparently taken a liking to a particular thrift store that Haley had introduced her to and had returned to purchase a hideous excuse for a lamp, which she was now insisting was to be stored in the living room.

Brooke stomped her foot like a petulant child, and stuck out her lower lip.

"Please, that hasn't worked since we were twelve it's not about to work now."

"P Sawyer if we're going to be living together you seriously need to learn the art of compromise."

"Ok here's a compromise, put it in your own room. That way I don't have to see it every day."

Brooke blew out a frustrated breath but conceded, knowing that it was probably the best deal she was going to get.

"Fine! But you have to keep your closet doors. My lists are on there and I will not have them destroyed. It's not like I can write anything on those awful drapes you were planning to replace them with."

"Yeah, that was the point!" When her best friend only raised an eyebrow in response, Peyton smirked and conceded. "Fine!"

Her tone turning serious, Brooke hugged her new housemate and glanced around the living room of the house that they would both now call home.

"This is gonna be so awesome! I have a feeling we're gonna get along just fine!"

……………………………………….

Nathan blew out a frustrated breath and checked his watch for what seemed like the hundredth time, his impatience only growing when he realised it had been more than two hours since his wife had locked herself in the bedroom of their apartment. Approaching the closed door, he knocked lightly.

"Haley, come on, we're going to be late."

After what seemed like a lifetime, the bedroom door opened and at the same time, Nathan's jaw hit the floor. For several moments he was too breathless to speak.

"I've told you before, perfection takes time." she joked.

Nathan couldn't agree more and suddenly felt extremely underdressed. His wife stood before him, wearing a form fitting, emerald green, dress. Made from shimmering satin, the dress was the epitome of elegance. The halter style neck gave way to a scooping neckline, and the back of the dress fell just low enough to be sexy, but classy.

"Wow, uh, I thought we were just going out to dinner." he stammered, still struggling to form a coherent sentence.

"We are but um… there's kind of slightly more to it than I told you."

The trademark grin that always gave her away when she had a surprise instore, appeared, and he knew whatever she was about to tell him was going to involve him getting changed.

"What's going on?"

"Alright well, just here me out before you say anything ok?" When his only response was a hesitant nod, she continued. "Well when I was cleaning the bedroom the other day, in a totally non-snooping fashion of course…"

"Of course…" Nathan laughed, wondering where in the world she could be going with this.

"I, um, well I kind of came across a letter that you got the other day… from Duke."

"Haley…" he started to form an excuse about why he hadn't shown her the letter. Truth was he still didn't have a clue what he was going to do. He was still getting over the fact that they had replied so fast. The application had only just been sent the day before Keith and Karen's wedding.

"I called Coach K and told him you'd accept." She held up another piece of paper with the name of the college printed at the top. "And that I would too."

For the second time that night Nathan was stunned into silence.

Not sure how he was going to react at her basically making the decision for him she rushed out an explanation. "Nathan, Duke is your dream. It has been forever. And I want that for you. You supported me with my music and I just really really want you to have that. I'm sorry that I didn't tell…"

She was cut off when her husband captured her lips in a kiss that told her he was far from mad. She felt his arms wrap around her waist as he lifted her off the ground.

Finding herself beginning to get flustered by the kiss she forced herself to pull away.

"So I take it you're not mad?" she said through a smirk.

"Mad? I'm… stunned. I can't believe you would do that for me. Are you sure it's what you want?"

"I'm sure. I'm also sure that you need to change. We're meeting Coach K and the Head of Admissions for dinner. I laid you a shirt and jacket out ready."

Though he hadn't thought it possible, Nathan fell a little more in love with his wife at that moment. Kissing her once more he did as asked and quickly entered the bedroom to change. For the first time since his father had been gunned down by police after almost killing his cousin, he felt his spirits soar. Not only were his dreams finally coming true, but he would have Haley by his side for every moment. Everything was finally falling into place.

………………………………….

Cassie tried with every fibre of her being to stop her hands from shaking as she made her way down the now familiar corridor. She was unsure as to why she felt so nervous. She'd been here more than enough times to have conquered that feeling now surely. But for some reason today felt different, strange somehow.

She wasn't even sure why she had come. This was her first visit in three weeks. Ever since the morning of her parents' wedding she'd told herself that it was time to stop going. To let the past go. And she had so far. So the fact that she was now making her way on unsteady legs towards her uncle's hospital room was a surprise even to her.

She knew her father would hit the roof if he found out. He still hadn't managed to visit himself, though she knew that deep down part of him wanted to.

The first thing she noticed upon entering the room was the silence. Gone were the myriad of machines that were once responsible for keeping Dan Scott's blood pumping through his veins. The wires that ran across his chest and arms had been removed. All that was left was an intravenous tube that Cassie assumed was used to feed and hydrate her uncle.

She jumped as the silence was interrupted by a nurse who was completing her early evening rounds.

"Sorry sweetie. Didn't mean to startle you."

"It's ok" she replied, smiling politely at the woman, who looked no more than a few years older than Cassie herself. Unable to quell her curiosity about her uncle's condition, she asked the question that was on her mind. "Um, what happened to all the machines?"

It was the nurse's turn to smile. Unaware of the situation between her patient and the young girl before her, she assumed that the news she had to give would be well received.

"They're no longer needed. He's breathing on his own and is making good progress. There's no medical reason for him to be unconscious. We're just waiting for him to wake up on his own." She made her way to the door, but stopped and turned back to Cassie. "Maybe a friendly voice is just what he needs."

Before Cassie could reply, the young nurse was gone, leaving her alone with her uncle once again. Hesitantly, she stepped closer to the bed, glancing back at the door as though making sure she still had a way out.

It was easy to see the difference in Dan's health since she last visited. His skin, once ashen and drawn, was now beginning to show signs of colour. He looked peaceful and content; a far cry from the hideous monster that had abducted and almost killed her only a month ago.

"I… um… jeez pull yourself together Cassie." Her voice was shaky with nerves and she took a deep breath, willing herself to calm down. "I don't know what I'm doing here. I promised myself that after Mom and Dad's wedding I'd stop coming to see you. That maybe then I could let everything go and move on with my life. And I've been doing pretty good so far. I guess part of me just wanted to make sure that nothing's changed."

Without realizing it, Cassie had cast her eyes downward and was keeping herself busy toying with the zipper on her grey summer jacket as she spoke.

"We had a great day today. Went to the Laser Quest at the mall. It was fun, you know? Real quality family time. And I guess I'm just scared because it's the first time since I got back that we've really been able to just relax and laugh and forget about everything else. I don't want anything to ruin that."

Cassie sensed the movement before she saw it. Her eyes shot quickly to where the movement had come from. She stared at his hand for what seemed like an eternity, wondering whether it was her imagination playing cruel tricks. Oh how she wished it had been.

The movement was slight, but it was there nevertheless. Glancing up at his face, Cassie's heart was gripped with irrational fear as she saw her uncle struggling to open his eyes. Her own breathing quickened and she looked back at the door, willing herself to get out of there as quickly as she could. Why the hell wouldn't her feet move?

She could do nothing but stare as the man responsible for the nightmare's that had plagued her dreams for the last month, opened his eyes and looked right back at her.


	2. Writing to Reach You

_A/N – Something I should have told you guys in my last AN, the timing for this story doesn't match up exactly with the show. Instead of season three happening at the beginning of their senior year, it was the end of the year before. So the shooting happened before they broke up for summer. I had to make it that way to bring in my OC Cassie since she came home to spend her senior year at Tree Hill. Confusing I know but hey, it's fanfiction, I can do what I like! Lol. Everything up to 3.16 still happened, except obviously Keith didn't die. Naley still moved back to the apartment and Brooke in with Peyton. College applications were still done in Episode 3.12. I don't know how that works in the US since I'm from the UK but let's just roll with it. Just thought I should let you know so that when I refer to Senior year in later chapters you're not thinking WTF! Lol._

_Also, the boring bit! I do not in any way shape or form own One Tree Hill or any of the characters, with the exception of Cassie who is all mine! No copyright infringement is intended so please don't sue! I don't have much to give anyway! This is purely for fun. _

Chapter 2 – Writing To Reach You

Cassie watched on in silence as Dan struggled to focus his eyes on her before glancing around the room in confusion. He opened his mouth to speak but his throat was dry from sleep and his attempt only caused a fit of coughing to seize him.

Knowing she couldn't just leave the man to choke, Cassie hesitated briefly before reaching toward the bedside cabinet for the glass of water that had been left there. Nervously, she held the glass up to her uncle's lips.

He sipped the liquid carefully, wincing as it slid down his throat painfully. She knew she should have felt some satisfaction at seeing him in so much pain, but all feeling had left her body when his eyes met hers for the first time. She was operating almost on autopilot, as if blocking out the reality that was facing her. The daze was broken when Dan spoke.

"C-cassie? Is…that you?"

She wanted to reply. She really did. She wanted nothing more than to launch into a tirade of loathing insults and reminders of all that he had done to hurt her and her family. But something about the way he had said her name, stopped her.

"Yeah. It's me" was all she said.

He spoke again but his voice was so hoarse that she could barely make out a word. She took a tentative step towards the bed, checking to ensure that the handcuffs that had been attached by the police were still securely in place.

His eyes followed her gaze and he lifted his hand as far as he could, staring at the metallic restraints in confusion.

"What's… going on? Why am I here? Where's Deb, and Nathan? What are you doing here? You're supposed to be in Ohio."

Frowning at the unexpected turn of events, Cassie struggled to figure out whether he was playing with her.

"So I'm supposed to believe you don't remember? Nice try Dan."

The hateful tone in his niece's voice clearly was not lost on Dan. "I don't understand… remember what?"

Almost positive that he was trying to mess with her mind, Cassie lost her temper, forgetting for a moment where she was. "Remember what? How about how you had me followed by some headcase with a camera, or how you threatened me that day on the beach? Or how about how you kipnapped me, nearly killed Lucas, and my Dad….."

She trailed off suddenly, taken aback when Dan began to get upset.

"Lucas… and Keith? I… Cassie what are you talking about?"

Realization hit Cassie then. He really didn't remember. She knew that her Uncle was an extremely talented liar, but the look in his eyes as she had spoken had been one of genuine confusion.

Composing herself, she brushed off the question, making a move toward the call button to call to get help.

"We should, um, get the doctor…"

She froze mid-sentence when his hand made contact with her wrist, the same one that he had painfully twisted and very nearly broken all those weeks ago. The gesture was intended to prevent her from getting to the button, but was not forceful or threatening as she would've imagined.

"No, please. I don't need a doctor. I need to know what's going on." Seeing that she was still unsure of him, he removed his hand from her wrist and tried again. "Please Cassie."

………………………………………..

"Haley, would you please stop fidgeting?"

"I am not."

Nathan smiled at his wife as one would a child who had been caught doing something they shouldn't.

"You are, you're doing that nervous hair twiddling thing you always do. It's supposed to be me that's nervous here."

"I know but this is just so huge for you and I'm so excited and nervous, and I want to make a good impression for you and-"

"Haley!" Nathan cut in, preventing her from launching into an episode of incessant over talking that always came with nerves. "It'll be fine. Just as long as you're sure you want to do this."

It was spoken as a question, but before Haley could reassure her husband, the very two people that they were waiting for arrived at the table and the pair politely stood up to greet their dinner guests.

"Coach K! Thanks so much for coming" he said, shaking his soon-to-be coach's hand. "I'm Nathan Scott and this is my wife Haley."

"I know who you are Mr Scott." the coach replied with a hint of humour, taking the offered handshake. "I've heard a lot about you."

"All good I hope."

The joke went down exactly as Nathan intended and the group shared a laugh as the coach greeted Haley before introducing the Head of Admissions Grace Fletcher.

Once drink and dinner orders were placed the Coach was keen to get down to business.

"So Nathan let's get right to it. I was pleased to hear that you had chosen Duke as your first option for college. The team could certainly use a player of your caliber."

Nathan blushed slightly at receiving a compliment from the man he had considered to be his hero for as long as he could remember. "There really wasn't a choice to be made. I've wanted to play for Duke since the first time I made a basket. I'd be honored to play for your team Sir."

The Head of Admissions spoke up. "There is the issue of grades to consider also. How are your studies going?"

Choosing to answer the question honestly, Nathan took his wife's hand as he spoke. "To be honest with you Ms Fletcher, my grades weren't all that good at the start of last year. It was mostly down to my attitude. Admittedly I was foolish and arrogantly believed that I didn't need to study because I would always have basketball."

Intrigued by the young man's blunt and honest answer, both the coach and Ms Fletcher urged him to continue.

"I guess I have my coach Whitey Durham, and my wife, to thank for changing that. Coach Durham basically forced me to concentrate on my grades and because of that I decided I needed a tutor."

He exchanged a look with Haley, deciding that the Coach didn't need to know the other reason behind his decision. Feeling the need to speak up for her husband Haley explained further.

"Honestly, I have to say I was surprised by how quickly Nathan improved his grades. I guess the only thing that was stopping him was his attitude towards school. I'm pretty sure every teenage boy goes through that. But he's grown incredibly over the last year and his grades have been at a steady 3.5 for over 8 months now."

Grace Fletcher smiled at the young woman who was so avidly supporting her husband. She liked her instantly and could see that the two were incredibly strong together.

"Well Haley I'm glad Nathan has someone like you around to support him. I'm pleased that you'll be accompanying him to Duke after your senior year."

"So am I."

If Nathan ever doubted his wife's confidence in her decision, that moment erased it. They were just three simple words but they held so much sincerity and love, that he had to ask himself once again what he had ever done to deserve such a supportive and wonderful wife. He promised himself in that moment that he would find a way to repay her kindness and show her just how much her love meant to him.

………………………………………..

Several minutes had passed and Dan still hadn't spoken a word. Since Cassie had filled him in on the events since she had moved back to town, he had simply sat staring into space quietly. She honestly wasn't even sure whether he knew that she was still there.

There was no longer any doubt in her mind about Dan's sincerity regarding his memory loss. His eyes gave way to a myriad of emotions; shock, confusion, and surprisingly shame. Cassie had wondered briefly if she was imagining it. But if this was an act then Dan Scott deserved an oscar. There was no way someone could fake the kind of sadness she was seeing on his face. To say it shocked her would be an understatement.

Cassie herself was unsure what to feel. She knew what she _wanted_ to feel. She wanted to be angry. She wanted to ignore the emotions that she saw on his face and tell him how much she hated him for what he had done. But she was too stunned to form the words.

Dan Scott was broken.

She was about to make a move to leave when his voice finally found its way to the surface.

"I don't know what to say."

Despite his apparent sincerity, Cassie refused to show any emotion to the man. He may very well regret what he had done, but that didn't automatically excuse it.

"There's not really much you can say. It's kinda hard to make up for nearly killing someone."

He winced at her harsh words, still unable to comprehend what she had told him, but knowing that, if what she was saying was true, he deserved every bit of verbal abuse he got.

"I'm so sorry Cassie."

"Why should I believe you huh? How do I know that this isn't all just another game you're playing?"

"I…guess you don't. I can't excuse what I've done. All I can do is apologise."

In that moment all of the memories of what had happened flooded back, assaulting Cassie with vivid detail. Overwhelmed, she turned and hastily fled the room.

When she finally reached the entrance to the hospital, Cassie burst through the doors and gulped in deep breaths of the cool night air as if she had been deprived of it to the point of near suffocation. Leaning against a nearby bench for support, Cassie closed her eyes and let the tears that had wanted to break free, finally cascade down her cheeks.

She was broken from her daze several minutes later when a voice spoke from beside her.

"Cassie?"

Looking up she was relieved to meet the eyes of a very concerned Whitey.

"What are you doin' here darlin'? Is it Karen? The baby?"

She shook her head. "No… no they're fine. They don't even know I'm here I was just, um…" She trailed off, unsure how to explain her reason for being at the hospital.

Whitey however was, as always, incredibly perceptive. "Trying to put the demons to rest." he finished for her.

"Something like that." She smiled at the kind old man while trying to wipe away her tears.

"Come on. I'll take you home."

……………………………………………..

"Shouldn't she be back by now? It's after nine, she went out three hours ago." Keith, ever the worried father, checked his watch for the hundredth time.

The words had barely left his lips when the front door opened and Cassie entered, followed by Whitey.

Immediately concerned about the possible reasons for the older man's presence, Keith approached his daughter, followed closely by Karen. Upon seeing her face it was clear, despite her best efforts to hide it, that she'd been crying.

"Sweetie, what happened? What's wrong?" Karen put her arm around her daughter's shoulder and guided her to the living room couch.

"Nothing. I'm ok now." she lied, trying to cover up the truth.

"Cassie." Whitey's gentle voice warned, urging her to tell the truth.

She took a deep breath, knowing that her parents, and especially, her father, weren't going to like what she had to say.

"Dan's awake" she blurted.

Keith's expression darkened at the mention of his brother's name. "You went to see him again."

It was a statement rather than a question and Cassie looked up at her father, confused. "How did you-"

"How did I know?" Keith knelt down in front of his daughter and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, the way he used to when she was a child. "I know _you_. I know how long your morning runs last. Two weeks before the wedding I started to notice them getting a little longer. The morning of the wedding I kind of asked Nathan to follow you."

She smiled at the sheepish look on his face.

"Honey, he's not gonna hurt you again. I promise."

"I guess I just needed to show myself that I could face him, you know? To know that it was really over and we could all move on. You always taught me to face my fears right?"

Though he didn't want his daughter anywhere near his brother, Keith had to admit he was proud of her for being strong enough to face up to everything she'd been through. "Right."

Returning from the kitchen after making everyone a hot cup of tea, Karen sat down beside Cassie and handed her the drink.

"You said he woke up. You were there when this happened?"

Cassie nodded. "It was strange. I thought I would be scared but when he opened his eyes and looked at me, it was like he was seeing me for the first time in five years. Then he asked me what I was doing there and said I should be in Ohio. I thought he was just messing with me at first but the look in his eyes… he doesn't remember anything."

Keith and Karen shared a skeptical glance.

"I know what you're thinking." Cassie interrupted before they could speak. "And I guess he could still be playing games-"

"But?" Keith prodded, sensing that there was more to the story.

"But I'm not sure that he is. You didn't see the look in his eyes Dad. He begged me to tell him everything and after I'd explained…he just looked so sad, like he couldn't believe it all." She locked eyes with her father. "You need to go see him."

"No. No way."

The defiant tone in her father's voice didn't deter Cassie. "Dad look, I'm not saying you have to forgive him. Hell, I haven't. But I think you need to do this for _you_. He's been in the hospital for over a month and you haven't been in once. I needed to do it and I think you do too. Just think about it."

Whitey, who had so far remained silent, spoke up. "She's right Keith. No-one's saying you have to forgive or forget what he did. But I think you know that you need to at least face him before you'll truly be able to put things to rest."

………………………………………………

Peyton listened to the sound of her best friends breathing as she slept beside her. Brooke's room wasn't quite finished yet, so for now she was still sharing with Peyton. In all honesty Peyton didn't mind the company. Night was the worst time for her. Memories of everything that had happened over the last year ran through her mind constantly; meeting Ellie, Ellie's death, the school shooting.

Remembering that awful day also brought back a memory that Peyton desperately wanted to forget. How could she have been so stupid? Sure she was bleeding, and by that point had convinced herself that she wasn't going to make it out of the school alive. But kissing her best friend's boyfriend? Again?

Every time she looked her best friend in the eye guilt tore at her heart. Brooke and Lucas were so happy. Anyone could see how in love they were. And it wasn't like Peyton was in love with him herself. Sure, she loved him. Of course she did, they'd been through so much together. But her love for Lucas was no different to her love for Brooke. Would that fact make any difference if Brooke found out? Peyton didn't think so. She knew Brooke would be devastated.

And what about Jake? Even as the name crossed her mind, a smile graced her lips. She loved Lucas, but she was _in love_ with Jake. She couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to ruin that. They were finally together. Nikki wasn't coming back. Everything was perfect. But would it continue to be?

For a brief second, Peyton toyed with the idea that she should simply tell the truth. Maybe if she just explained that the kiss was nothing more than a moment of confusion spurred on by the fear of imminent death. Maybe Brooke would understand. Then it would all be out in the open and they could finally put the situation to rest.

Wide awake, she decided to listen to some music in the hope that it would help her drift off to sleep. Padding softly over to her newly constructed shelves, she selected Led Zeppelin's IV album. As she pulled it from its place on the shelf a folded piece of paper fell to the ground at her feet.

Curious she kneeled down to retrieve it and as she unfolded it, a tearful smile formed on her face as she recognised her birth mother's handwriting.

_Peyton_

_If this letter finds you then I know I've achieved the dream that's been in my heart for seventeen long years. Seeing your beautiful face one more time._

_Please don't be sad for me. Know that the happiest moments of my life were spent during those few precious weeks I got to spend with you._

_Every great song has its coda remember?_

A single teardrop fell onto the page, blotting the ink of Ellie's words ever so slightly.

_I know that in the short time we spent together I gave you very little information about your birth father. To be honest it's better that way. But there is one other family member that I feel you should know about. You have a brother Peyton._

_He's the son of your father. All I know is that his name is Derek Sommers and he lives in St Flora. I managed to look up a number 555-0034. That's as far as I got. _

_What you do with this information is up to you. Just know that one of my biggest regrets is missing out on so much of your life. _

_I love you Peyton._

_Forever_

_Ellie_

Her hands shook as she read the words a second time.

You have a brother. Derek Sommers. St Flora.

Brooke, who had stirred from her sleep, instantly came to Peyton's side when she noticed her tear stained expression. Her worry subsided slightly when she saw that Peyton was smiling.

"P? What's up buddy?"

"It's happening again."

When Brooke only stared at her with confused eyes, Peyton handed over the letter, watching Brooke's eyes widen as she took in the words.

"Unbelievable" was the only word that escaped her lips.

……………………………………………………………

_So there you have it. How am I doing so far? As you can see, I've included the Peyton/Brother scenario but unfortunately Psycho Derek will not be making an appearance. I just feel that it will be too much drama for one small town considering everything that recently happened with Cassie and Dan. But good Derek was HOT with a capital H so I had to include him! _


	3. Nobody's Fault But Mine

_Disclaimer – See Chapter 2. _

Chapter 3 – Nobody's Fault But Mine

Brooke emerged from the shower, fully dressed and drying off her hair with a towel. She stopped her movements when she noticed that her best friend was sat in the same position as she had been when Brooke had woken up.

Peyton was leaning back in her chair at the desk where her computer and ever popular webcam sat, holding the phone and staring at it as though it was a completely foreign object that she wasn't quite sure how to use.

"Still haven't called yet huh?"

The blonde girl jumped, startled by the voice from behind her.

Brooke approached her and laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Make the call Peyton. You'll never know what might happen otherwise."

Peyton sighed. "Maybe some things are just better left unknown."

There was a double meaning behind her words that Brooke didn't pick up on. But of course how could she?

"Your choice buddy. Personally I think it's better to know the truth. I know I'd want to."

Brooke dropped a reassuring kiss on her best friend's head and left the room. A pang of guilt shot through Peyton once again as she digested Brooke's advice. Before she could change her mind, she picked up the phone again and quickly dialed.

………………………………………………………

The hospital was bustling with activity, which wasn't exactly unusual for 11am on a weekday, but Keith found himself wishing that the place had been deserted, as though maybe the silence would help him clear his head. Every one of his instincts was screaming at him to turn around and leave. He didn't want to face his brother. He honestly couldn't promise that he would remain calm enough to approach the situation rationally.

Despite his reservations he knew his daughter was right. He needed to come face to face with Dan in order to try and move on from the anger that he was feeling.

As he approached the door to his brother's room, he could see that Dan was sitting up in bed. The television was on, but although Dan's eyes were fixed on the screen, it was obvious that he wasn't really taking in the words or pictures before him.

Keeping his expression emotionless and stony, Keith knocked lightly on the doorframe, startling Dan out of the apparent trance that he was in.

Cassie had been spot on when she'd said that Dan's behaviour had been strange. Keith was taken aback slightly when Dan met his eyes for the briefest of moments before lowering his head in shame.

"I didn't think you'd come," the younger man spoke.

"Neither did I."

"So why did you?"

"Cassie convinced me that I should." He caught his brother's wince as he said his daughter's name and felt a small amount of satisfaction in the fact that just mentioning her hurt him. Good. He needed to feel the full force of the pain that his actions have caused. "Yeah, she's a pretty selfless kid really. Even after everything you put her through she still thought enough of our relationship, or at least the one we used to have, to convince me to come and see you."

"Keith I…"

"Save it Dan. You can't talk your way out of this one. Cassie also told me about your so called amnesia. She may have bought it but then she doesn't know any better. I was here after your heart attack, remember? I haven't forgotten your little phoenix effect stunt. I fell for it then. I won't make the same mistake twice."

"That's not what this is…"

Feeling his anger returning threefold, Keith cut him off once again, intentionally using his brother's own words from long ago against him. "Listen to me you son of a bitch. Those are the last words you're ever going to speak to me. You are no longer my brother. Do you understand that?" Looking Dan directly in the eye, he spoke the last few words in a low yet eerily calm tone. "You do not exist to me."

Without pausing to allow for a reply, Keith turned and left the room as quickly as he had come.

……………………………………………………

A knock on her doorframe caused Peyton to spin around in her chair.

"Hey, thanks for coming over." She stood up, meeting her visitor in the center of the room.

"No problem." Jake planted a kiss on his girlfriend's lips and was surprised when she not only didn't return it, but pulled away, refusing to meet his gaze. "Whoa, what's wrong?"

Now or never.

"Jake, I love you…. so much."

Utterly baffled by her hesitant and frightened tone, Jake simply looked on, waiting to see where the conversation was headed.

"But, since we got back together so much has happened that we haven't really had the chance to talk about the time we spent apart. There's something that I think you need to know."

"Ok Peyton, I'm starting to seriously dislike the way this is going. Please just tell me whatever it is."

She took a deep breath. "Alright, well, you remember the day of the school shooting, I was stuck in the library. I couldn't get out because of my leg…."

"I remember. Lucas came in and got you out right."

"Right. But we couldn't get out right away because we didn't know if it was safe. So we just sat there. I swear Jake I thought I was going to die. I was bleeding and tired and scared. I wasn't thinking straight."

Pieces had slowly began falling into place for Jake and he stood up from his position on the bed. He was sure now that he wasn't going to like what she had to tell him.

"Tell me Peyton."

"I kissed him."

Jake's eyes widened at the words and he let out a humorless laugh. Peyton's stomach lurched with fear when he turned away from her.

"Jake please, it's not…"

"How exactly did you expect me to take this, huh?" He turned back to look her in the eye but when she refused to look back at him he knew she wasn't done. "What else is there?"

That was Jake. Always able to tell what she was thinking. Always knowing what she was feeling. Jake whom she loved with every part of her soul. How could she have done this?

Tears slowly making their way down her colour-drained cheeks, she delivered what she knew was going to be the devastating blow. "I told him I loved him."

"Unbelievable." Turning on his heel, Jake headed out of the room and down the stairs toward the door. His mind was reeling. How could this have happened? She had seemed so happy to see him, so keen to pick up where they left off. And all the while she'd had feelings for someone else, someone he considered to be one of his best friends.

Peyton was hot on his heels as he descended the stairs.

"Jake, wait please!"

Turning towards her in fury, Jake lost the small grip he had on his emotions. "Wait for what Peyton? For you to explain? How the hell are you gonna explain this, huh?"

He hated seeing her cry. But how could she expect him just to take in the fact that she had told another guy that she loved him?

"Jake, I love you."

"Yeah," he began as he swung open the door. "but apparently I'm not the only one you love."

She jumped as he slammed the door loudly behind him. Collapsing to the floor, she put her head in her hands and cried.

…………………………………………

_Swish!_ The ball went through the hoop for the fifth time in a row, putting Cassie ahead by two points.

"All I'm saying is, he's tried pulling a stunt like this before. Right after his heart attack he went all in love with life, sorry for his mistakes, you know? And as you know, it was all just a plan until he could get his revenge."

Out of breath, Cassie dropped down onto the bench and took a swig of Gatorade. "Yeah I know but you didn't see him Lucas. I don't know it was weird. He looked so…broken."

Lucas cast his sister a skeptical glance. "I don't know Cass. This is what he's good at. Manuipulating people into believing what he wants them to believe."

Cassie was about to reply when movement caught her eye from over Lucas' shoulder.

"Hey Jake's here." She almost waved, that was until she noticed the very pissed off expression on his face. "Uh, he does not look amused."

Lucas spun round just as his friend reached them, noticing immediately that Jake's angry glare was focused directly on him.

"Whoa, dude what's wrong?"

"I need to hear it from you, what's the deal with you and Peyton?"

Lucas frowned in confusion. "Me and Peyton? Jake man wh-"

"I know about the library Luke so save me the excuses. Peyton told me all about it."

Cassie was well aware of what had taken place in the library the day of the school shooting. Her brother had explained it all in one of his emails. She knew about the kiss and that Peyton had told Lucas that she loved him. But she also knew how Peyton felt about Jake. She was crazy about him. If the situation had taken the turn that Cassie thought it had then she knew Peyton would be devastated. She could only hope that Brooke hadn't discovered the truth yet.

Sensing that she was a third wheel in a very tense conversation, Cassie excused herself. "Um, I'm gonna go make sure she's ok."

Lucas nodded in acknowledgement but Jake's eyes never wavered. Cassie wasn't even sure if he had noticed her presence.

Once they were alone, Lucas turned his attention back to his friend. "Look man, at the risk of sounding cliché, this isn't what you think."

"Really? Then why don't you tell me what it is cause I'm having a real hard time getting my head around this. Not only did my girlfriend kiss you, she told you she loved you."

"Yeah and she does. Just like I love her."

The answer didn't go down quite the way Lucas had meant it and Jake stepped forward in anger.

"No, Jake I didn't mean it like that ok. I love Peyton. I do. Just like I love Haley. And she loves me, just like she loves Brooke."

Finally catching on to his friend's point, Jake felt his anger begin to disperse a little.

"Look man, Peyton is one of my best friends. I'll always care about her. But I'm _in _love with Brooke. You remember Brooke right? My girlfriend?"

This time his attempt at humor went as planned and Jake's icy expression finally thawed into a tentative smile. He drew in a shaky breath and sighed heavily, feeling relieved and slightly stupid for having approached Lucas the way he had.

"And the kiss?"

"It wasn't a romantic kiss. She was bleeding Jake. She thought she was gonna die. That's what scared me so much. It was more of a goodbye kiss. That's when I decided I had to get her out of there. If I hadn't…"

"Yeah let's not go there huh?"

Lucas smiled reassuringly. "Jake, you have no idea how much Peyton loves you. She was a mess when you were gone. I've never seen her as happy as when she's with you."

"Yeah well it's safe to say the feelings mutual. I really love her Luke. But honestly, how am I supposed to accept the fact that she told another guy that she loved them? It hurt like hell when I had to leave her. And I really didn't think I'd ever get the chance to be with her again. But now, knowing that there's a chance that she has feelings for you. I don't know if I can do it man."

……………………………………….

As usual, Cassie found the door to Peyton's house unlocked. Entering quietly, she looked around for any sign of her friend. She didn't have to look far.

Peyton was sat at the bottom of her stairs, in what Cassie assumed was the same position that Jake had left her in. Her knees were curled up to her chest and her arms were wrapped tightly around them. Her head rested on her knees and she made no effort to look up as Cassie approached.

It would have seemed to anyone that she had fallen asleep, but Cassie could see the very slight shaking of her shoulders and she heard the faint sound of sobbing.

"Peyton?" she spoke gently, not wanting to startle the girl.

Finally, Peyton lifted her head and greeted Cassie with a weary smile.

"Hey."

"Hey. I um, heard about the fight with Jake. I wanted to make sure you were ok."

"You've seen him?"

"Yeah uh, when I left I think he was about to tears strips off my brother." She added a smirk to let her friend know that she was kidding.

"I messed up Cass. Everything was finally falling back into place. Brooke and I were better than ever. Jake and I were… and now it's all ruined. I don't know what I was thinking."

Placing a comforting arm around the shattered girl's shoulders, Cassie tried her best to be reassuring, despite being unsure herself as to how the situation would turn out. "You were thinking that a relationship isn't worth a damn without honesty. And you were right Peyton. Jake will come around. If anyone can talk some sense into him it's Lucas."

"And what about Brooke? She's gonna hate me Cassie. It was hard enough for her to forgive me the first time round." The thought of losing her best friend after working so hard to get their relationship back to normal, tore Peyton apart.

"I know it's going to be hard. But I've seen how close you guys are. I'm sure you can work it out. You need to tell Brooke the truth."

A voice from behind them startled both girls. "Tell Brooke the truth about what?"

……………………………………………

Heels clattered nosily against the marble as Deb made her way down the same corridor that her brother in law had walked earlier that morning. It had taken her an hour of debating with herself to convince herself to come.

The factor that finally made the decision for her was nothing but sheer curiosity. She had been nothing short of surprised when she'd received a phone call from her ex-husband begging her to visit him.

Having been married to Dan Scott for the last eighteen years, and knowing very well what he was capable of, Deb had gotten pretty good at reading him. She could usually tell what kind of mood he was in or when he was planning something just by the tone in his voice.

But when she had spoken to him that morning, she'd been caught offguard to hear his voice sounding so hollow. It was as though there was no fight left in Dan Scott at all. His voice was void of all emotion. So what in the world could he be up to now?

She paused in the doorway, taking in the sight before her. Dan was sitting upright, papers spread out across the table that had been placed in front of him, pen scribbling furiously.

"Didn't take you long. Back to business already?" Her voice was harsh, although not nearly as cutting as his brother's had been.

"You could say that." Signing off the last sheet of paper, Dan held the pile towards his ex-wife. "I need you to give these to Keith for me. I didn't get a chance myself since he only seemed interested in ripping into me."

"Can you blame him? If you ask me you're lucky that's all he did."

"Deb I don't want to get into this right now. Please just give him the papers."

Taking the papers that were held towards her, Deb eyed him suspiciously. "What is this?" When he didn't respond she cast her eyes toward the documents in her hand. Glancing back at him in utter disbelief she looked for any sign that this was another one of his games. "Is this for real?"

………………………………………………….

"Have you considered the possibility that he's telling the truth?" Karen placed a hot cup of coffee on the counter as her husband finished explaining about his visit to the hospital that morning.

"It's Dan. The truth is not something that he's ever been capable of. Why start now?"

She shook her head, unable to figure out Dan's apparent turn around herself. "I don't know. I guess you're right. It could just be the whole 'phoenix effect' trick all over again. Maybe going to see him was a mistake. I'm sorry we pushed you."

"No you were right. I needed to do it. But I don't think I'll ever stop being angry at him. Seeing him again just reminded me of how close I came to losing Cassie. I just wish I could make this easier for her you know? She'll be going back to school in a couple of weeks and I honestly don't know how she's going to handle it."

"She an incredibly strong kid. She'll get through it. Plus she'll have Lucas and Nathan, and the others there to support her whenever she needs, not to mention a father that watches her every move." she joked.

He laughed as she moved to other side of the counter to refill the coffee pot. But when he saw her pick up what looked like a particularly heavy box from under the counter, he was on his feet instantly. "What are you doing?"

She looked at him as though he had just sprouted a second head. "Uh, I'm building my own version of the titanic, what does it look like I'm doing?"

Making a face at her sarcasm, Keith swiftly removed the box from her arms. "You shouldn't be doing heavy lifting. You need to get one of the other guys to do it, or me if I'm here."

"I'm pregnant, I haven't lost the use of my limbs. Besides that whole heavy lifting hurting the baby thing is a myth."

"I know that but it could hurt you."

"I almost forgot what a nightmare you were when I was pregnant with Lucas."

He narrowed his eyes in mock annoyance. "I was not a nightmare. I was your knight in shining armor if I recall correctly."

"What ever you need to believe honey." she joked, patting his cheek in a purposefully patronizing manner.

He was saved from replying when the bell over the door rang and Deb stepped into the small café, an uncertain look in her eyes.

"Hey Deb." Karen greeted. "Something wrong?"

"Um, I'm not sure. That depends on you." she replied, directing her words towards Keith.

He frowned, wondering what it was that had his normally confident sister in law looking so disorientated.

"I just came from the hospital. Dan called me this morning and asked me to go see him. When I got there, he gave me these. He asked me to give them to you. I wasn't sure how you'd feel about it."

Keith took the papers she was holding out to him and began leafing through them, his expression quickly morphing from one of trepidation, to one of sheer puzzlement. "I don't understand."

"Keith? What is it?" Karen was quickly becoming concerned.

"It's the ownership papers for the auto shop. He's signed it back to me."

……………………………………………………………………..

_A/N – So this is the part where I need you guys to help me out. I personally thought that the way everything went with Breyton in Season 4 sucked! Not because it was badly written, some of the scenes were awesome. But I hate seeing them fighting. So what I want to know is, what do you guys want me to do? Do you want to see bitter, angry Brooke, or understanding, forgiving Brooke. Let me know._


	4. Forget About Tomorrow

_Disclaimer – see chapter 2._

Chapter 4 – Forget About Tomorrow

As she approached the doorway to the bedroom she could hear the sounds of her friend furiously throwing stuff in a bag. She tread carefully, knowing how volatile Brooke Davis could be when she was angry.

Pausing in the doorway she watched on as Brooke flew around the room like a category five hurricane, trying with all her might to slow the tears that were spilling over her cheeks.

"Don't you dare come in here and try to talk me out of this."

"Brooke, it's me."

The brunette looked up in surprise. The voice she'd heard had not been the one she expected.

"Where is she?"

"She went for a walk. Said she couldn't handle watching you leave." Cassie sat down on the edge of the bed as Brooke went back to her packing.

"Yeah well, she should have thought about the before she made out with my boyfriend. _Again_!"

As though saying the words herself had actually made the situation all the more real, Brooke stopped what she was doing, covered her face with her hands and sank down onto the bed as painful sobs took over her body. Cassie's heart broke as she saw all the anger drain out of her friend, quickly being replaced by an unbearable agony.

Knowing that words would make no difference at that moment, Cassie simply shuffled closer to the broken girl beside her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, patiently waiting until Brooke was ready to speak.

"How could she do this? After last time, how could she kiss him again?"

"I know it's no excuse but I think the situation they were in played a big part in it. From what I heard, Peyton was bleeding badly. If I had to guess, I'd say she thought she was going to die and it was her way of saying goodbye."

Brooke lifted her tearful gaze to her friend's face. "You knew about this?"

Shit. Wrong thing to say.

"Kind of. But Brooke you have to understand I was in an awkward position. When Lucas told me, he didn't know I was coming home. He probably never thought for a second that we'd all end up being friends. Plus it really wasn't my place to tell you."

Brooke sighed, knowing Cassie was right. "I'm sorry Cass. None of this is your fault. It's just pretty crappy finding out that your best friend kissed your boyfriend…twice."

"Try walking in on your best friend and your boyfriend in bed together."

That got through. Brooke, having quickly resumed her packing frenzy, stopped in her tracks, obviously not expecting such a revelation from her boyfriend's sister.

"You're kidding."

"I wish."

"But when, how? Lucas never told me."

Cassie laughed at that. "That's cause I never told him. You saw how he reacted when that guy at Tric hit on me. Can you imagine what he'd do if he knew about this. Never told my dad either."

It was obvious that Brooke was glad that the focus had switched from her onto Cassie, so she continued.

"I was in my junior year at boarding school. I'd been dating this guy Jeremy for about a year. I swear I was so smitten. As always he knew what to say and do to make me believe he was a decent guy. And I guess I fell for it. Then the seniors threw this party in the dorms and since he was a senior himself, I was invited. I took my best friend Kimmy along with me. You know, moral support and all."

Cassie was surprised at how much it still hurt to talk about. But she figured if anyone could understand what she had gone through, it was Brooke. She also thought maybe her own perspective on the situation might help.

"About half way through the party, I noticed they'd both disappeared. I figured Kimmy had hooked up with one of the guys from the football team that she'd been flirting with all night and that Jeremy was probably passed out in his room. So I went to check. And at the risk of torturing a cliché, the rest as they say, is history."

"Jeez, that sucks. So, I mean, what happened? How did you manage to forgive them?"

"I didn't. It wasn't long after it happened that I decided to come home. So I just avoided them both until I left. Pretty difficult when you live at your school, trust me."

"Or when you live with your best friend." Brooke said sadly, glancing around the room that she had pretty much grown up in.

"Yeah I guess. The thing is Brooke, afterwards, I found out just how wrong I was to ever have thought of Kimmy as my best friend. When I finally confronted her about it, she wasn't even sorry that I'd caught them. She just said that it was about time I knew the truth and that I'd have to deal with it. She was a real bitch. But Peyton couldn't be sorrier for what happened. She hates the thought that she might lose you. As for Jeremy, he was a jerk. It turned out that he'd already cheated on me with half the cheerleading squad anyway. I know you feel betrayed. I get that, trust me. But if I know one thing it's that my brother loves you. He's crazy about you. He'd never intentionally do anything to risk losing you. I can say that much for sure."

"She's right."

Both girls spun around to face the person that had spoken from the doorway. Peyton stared back at them with tears in her eyes.

"I understand if you hate me for this Brooke, but please don't be mad at Lucas. I kissed him. He didn't kiss me. He loves you."

The fact that her so called best friend was standing in the doorway, telling her about her own boyfriend's feelings, was the last straw for Brooke. Without saying a word, she picked up the bag she had quickly packed and pushed past Peyton, leaving both girls staring after her.

………………………………………………………

He just couldn't get his head around it. It didn't matter how many times he looked over the papers, it just didn't seem real.

Why would Dan sign the auto shop back to him? Was this just another part of his new game? Or could he truly be trying to make amends?

Keith found it hard to believe that even Dan could honestly think that giving back the auto shop would even begin to make up for everything he'd done.

"Penny for them."

Jumping at the unexpected voice, Keith turned to face his daughter, who was smirking at him in amusement.

"Jeez Cass. You trying to give me a heart attack?"

"Depends, did you leave me the car in your will?"

"Very funny." He swatted her playfully with the papers.

"What's this?"

She snatched them from his grip before he could stop her. He hadn't made a decision as to whether or not to accept the offer yet. Part of him wanted to march back down to the hospital and rip the papers up in his brother's face. But try as he might he couldn't deny that he'd loved the auto shop. It wasn't just a job; it was a part of him.

"These are the ownership papers for your old shop. Dan signed them back to you?"

As ever, his little girl missed nothing.

"Yeah, it looks that way."

"Ok so why are you sitting around here staring at them like they're going to disappear any moment?"

Keith sighed, already sensing the lecture he was about to receive. "I haven't decided whether to accept it yet."

"What?! Why the hell wouldn't you?"

"Watch your language."

The reprimand came out almost automatically and Cassie found herself wondering if he even realised he was saying it anymore. It really was quite funny.

"I'm very sorry Daddy." Her sarcasm was clearly back full force. "So seriously, why wouldn't you accept?"

Snatching the papers in much the same way she had, Keith tried to explain his reluctance. "I don't trust him. He never just gives something away. There are always strings attached."

"Ok so have a lawyer look over the papers before you sign them. Make sure there are no strings. Then, once you've scrutinized every inch of the contract, which I know you will, sign the damn papers!"

He opened his mouth to utter another one of his automatic reprimands, but Cassie cut him off.

"Sorry, sign the papers" she corrected with a sly grin. "Look Dad the way I see it, Dan never should have gotten his hands on that shop on the first place. He swindled you out of it. So really, he's not so much giving you something, as returning something that belonged to you in the first place. He owes you this, and it looks like he knows it." Throughout her lecture she had hunted around the room in search of something, and her eyes finally locked on the very thing she was looking for. She picked up the phone and thrust it at her father. "Call a lawyer."

"When did you get so smart huh?" Keith yelled after her as she headed down the hall toward her room.

"It's a gift."

…………………………………………………..

"Nathan, what is going on? This thing is tickling." Haley complained, referring to the blindfold that had been securely fastened around her eyes.

"I told you, it's a surprise. It's almost ready, just give me a minute."

Her confusion increased when she heard a shuffling sound and what she assumed was a rather heavy object being pulled across the floor.

"Ok seriously, I'm two seconds away from pulling this blindfold off myself. What's taking so long? I wanna see…"

The kitchen table had been successfully moved back to where he'd put it a year ago, and everything was now in place. All that remained, was to reveal the surprise.

"Alright alright I'm coming."

Gently gripping his wife's shoulders from behind, he slowly guided her a few steps forward, positioning her directly in front of the new object.

"You ready?"

"Yes please!" she giggled excitedly.

He swiftly removed the blindfold from her eyes and she gasped in disbelief at the item before her. The brand new keyboard had been placed in the same position that her old one had been, allowing plenty of room for her to practice. Just as before, a bright red ribbon had been wrapped around the gift.

"Oh my gosh, Nathan!" Without any warning, she launched herself into his arms, very nearly toppling them both to the floor. "Oh I love it! Thank you. Thank you so much!"

Seeing his wife so happy never failed to make Nathan beam with pride. He loved being the one to make her smile the way she was at that moment.

"Yeah well, I kinda figured I owed you one since I…you know…threw the last one at the wall." He hung his head sheepishly but his smirk gave away the humor behind his words.

Comfortable in the knowledge that they were able to joke about the situation now, Haley was quick to retort. "Yeah well next time I run off on tour, remind me to take it with me."

"Oh you are so gonna pay for that one."

"Really?" She arched an eyebrow seductively, stepping backwards as he began to slowly advance on her.

"Oh yeah. Big time. You better run."

She didn't need to be told twice. Laughing riotously, she took off down the hallway, her husband in hot pursuit.

…………………………………………………………..

"_Hi you've reached Brooke Davis, well not actually Brooke Davis since I obviously can't get to the phone right now, but whatever. So leave me a message and I'll get back to you when I can. Chow people!"_

"Brooke…it's me… again. This is the, uh, eighth time I've called. I guess you're avoiding me and I understand but please you need to give me a chance to explain." It took Lucas a second to realise that he was starting to ramble. "Anyway, please call me back, or come over, anytime I don't mind….. I love you pretty girl."

He flipped the phone shut and would have quite happily hurled it across the room if it weren't for the fact that he was desperate to hear her voice. Falling back onto his bed, he sighed heavily and closed his eyes. How had this happened? They'd been so happy lately. After all that had happened over the last few months, starting with the school shooting, they'd become closer than ever. And now…

Lucas honestly didn't know how he could fix the situation. Sure to him the kiss had been nothing more than a moment of weakness brought on by the fear that Peyton was dying. And he was pretty sure it was the same for Peyton too. But still he knew that to Brooke it was so much more than that.

Lost in his thoughts, he didn't hear the soft knock on his door, and jumped slightly when it opened, revealing his tired and teary girlfriend. If he could even still call her that. God he hoped so.

He was on his feet in a flash, but his heart sank when he reached out for her and she stepped away, looking at him with pain filled eyes. Part of him wished that she would just yell at him. Scream and shout and swear. Because the expression on her face as she stood before him, terrified him more than any amount of anger ever could. If it hadn't been for the fact that her eyes betrayed her, it would have been hard to tell whether Brooke Davis was feeling anything at all. She was broken. And knowing that he had caused it sliced through Lucas like a knife to the flesh.

"Brooke…I…" The look in her eyes was killing him, making it almost impossible to search for words that would put things right. "I'm sorry."

A nod. One simple nod was all he got in response. As though he had told her something as simple as the time. And when she spoke, her calm and steady tone caused uneasiness to bubble in the pit of his stomach.

"What are you sorry for Lucas?"

"For everything. I'm sorry that I kissed Peyton, I'm sorry that I didn't tell you, I'm sorry for the way you found out. But most of all, I'm sorry that I'm the reason that you're hurting right now. I'm so sorry Brooke."

"Five times."

His eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "What?"

"You said I'm sorry five times just now. Six if you count the one before that. I'm sorry is easy to say Lucas. If you're going to end up apologizing for something, it's usually better not to do it at all."

"I know that. God Brooke if there was anything I could do to take it back, trust me, I'd do it."

"Trust you. See that's the problem Lucas, since we got back together, I'm not sure that I've ever been able to let myself really trust you." Her words weren't intended to hurt him. They really weren't. But she could see that they had. "What does that say about our relationship?"

He was getting desperate now. It was becoming abundantly clear that she was drifting away from him, and he felt powerless to stop it.

"I love you Brooke."

"I know you do."

The tiny ray of hope that had come with that sentence was quickly dashed with the next.

"But there's someone else that you love too. And I don't have the energy to keep fighting to win this constant battle for first place. I'm sorry Luke. I can't do this anymore."

He wasn't even looking at her anymore. He was staring past her even as she spoke, unable to digest the meaning behind her words.

Before her emotions could take over, she quickly turned and opened the door.

"Brooke…" he called out but it was a moment too late as the door closed behind her. He sighed and spoke the words that he wished she could hear. "You've already won."

…………………………………………………………………..

"I am sooo going to win this time. In fact, not only am I going to win, I'm going to take you both to the cleaners. Mom may've gotten lucky last time but it won't happen again."

"I think somebody is still a little sore from losing." Karen teased her daughter as she set up the monopoly board game at the kitchen table.

"Not at all Mommy dearest. Just looking forward to my payback." She held the dice towards her mother. "To show that there are no hard feelings, I'll allow you to roll first" she joked.

Karen pulled up her chair in between Keith and Cassie as the money was handed out. Rolling the dice, she smirked when they both landed on the number six. "Well whaddya know. Sweetie since your closest would you mind moving my character _twelve_ spaces please."

"Uh, hello? Should I leave the room while you two duel it out for alpha female?" Keith teased. "How do you know that I'm not gonna steal the game?"

He was sure he should have been insulted when his wife and daughter simply shared a look, before breaking out into giggles.

Cassie was about to take her turn when a very glum looking Lucas entered the kitchen. Without even uttering a word to the three people gathered around the table, he began aimlessly wandering the room, opening and closing every cupboard door, though clearly not really taking in what was inside.

"Is there a hide and seek game going on that we don't know about?" Keith was the first to dare speak, all three instantly sensing that something was wrong.

Though she had a feeling she knew what had caused her brother's bad mood, Cassie waited for him to confirm her fears. She didn't have to wait long.

"Brooke dumped me."

"And you're hoping to find a new girlfriend in the refrigerator?" Cassie's words were sarcastic, but her tone was soft and sympathetic. It was obvious to anyone that Lucas was heartbroken.

Taking the hint, he swung the refrigerator door shut, and flopped down at the table beside his father.

"You wanna talk about it?" Karen prodded carefully.

He sighed and shook his head, smiling gratefully at his family. "Not right now." In need of a distraction, he looked at the board set out before him. "It too late to join in?"

"You sure you wanna go up against these two?" Keith gestured to the females at the table.

"Tell you what…lets make it interesting. Parent's against kids, losers have to do anything the winners ask for the next week."

Cassie raised her eyebrow at the two adults in a silent challenge, while Lucas finally cracked a smile, knowing just how competitive his sister could be, and thankful that he was her teammate, rather than her opponent.

Karen scoffed at the teens. Kids could be so foolish. "I hope you like chores."

The game had barely begun before the family was rudely interrupted by a harsh rapping on the front door.

"Every damn time! I swear can anyone in this town ever have a peaceful moment without something getting in the way? Who wants to take bets on what kind of drama it's gonna be this time." Cassie complained as her father went to answer the door.

She never thought she'd come to regret her words.

The door swung open to reveal a middle aged man with a slightly balding head and moustache, wearing a brown tweed jacket and a solemn expression. Lucas recognized him as the detective who had been at the school the day of the shooting. He'd also been there when Dan was shot.

"Detective Reeves…what can I do for you?" A sinking feeling stirred in the pit of Keith's stomach and even as he asked the question he knew he didn't really want to know the answer.

"Mr & Mrs Scott, Lucas…. Cassie" he greeted each of them.

Why had he paused before saying her name? The way he had spoken, and the way his gaze seemed to keep hovering over her, bothered Cassie.

"I'm, uh, afraid I have some bad news."

Despite having worked in the police force for twenty five years, eighteen of which he had been a detective, the seasoned professional could not for the life of him figure out how he was going to break the news to the family. After everything they'd been through, surely they deserved a break. Sadly, it seemed that it simply wasn't meant to be.

"I received a call a while ago from Tree Hill Memorial Hospital…"

Ok, that did it. Cassie officially felt sick to the stomach. If he didn't spit whatever it was out within the next thirty seconds, she'd be seeing her dinner in reverse. Fortunately for her, he seemed to be as desperate to get it over with as she was.

"It seems that… well um, I'm not quite sure how yet, but it seems that Dan Scott has escaped police custody."

………………………………………………………..

_A/N – Dun dun dun!!!! Lol. I know, I know it's a cliffhanger but I couldn't help it. It seemed like the right place to end the chapter and I didn't want to go too far over 3000 words. So shoot me! Actually scratch that, please don't! _

_So what do you guys think so far? Your comments, good or bad (but constructive) would me much appreciated. Do you like that the story is focusing more on all of the characters? Is there anyone or anything that you'd like to see more of? Let me know xx_


	5. Well Here We Go Again

Chapter 5 – Well Here We Go Again

More words were spoken between her parents and the detective. But Cassie heard none of them. The same six words reverberated through her mind as though they were bouncing around inside her skull. _Dan Scott has escaped police custody._

It was someone's idea of a cruel joke. It had to be. One family, _her_ family, could not possibly encounter this much drama in a lifetime never mind in less than three months. No, there had been some kind of mistake. The police would call later and say that everything had been cleared up and Dan was back in the hospital under constant police surveillance.

She hadn't even heard the detective say goodnight or the door close but the next thing that Cassie was aware of was her father saying her name. He must have said it a few times because he was looking at her through extremely worried eyes.

Like the professional she was, she shook herself out of her trance and did what she did best… pretended like nothing was wrong.

"Yeah, sorry um… who's turn is it? It's Lucas and me, right?" She resumed her seat at the kitchen table and picked up the dice. When none of her family joined her, she glanced up to find them all watching her with concern. "What?"

Karen was unsure what her next move should be. She and Cassie had gotten a lot closer since the adoption had gone through. They talked about a lot of things, like any mother and daughter should, and Karen knew that Cassie trusted her enough to come to her with any problem she may have. So normally, if something was wrong, it wouldn't be unusual for her to usher Lucas and Keith out of the room and sit down to talk, woman to woman. And she so wanted to do that now.

But she knew that this situation was very different. Whether Cassie admitted it or not it was obvious to anyone who really knew her that she was scared. Who wouldn't be after what she'd been through? What she really needed more than anything else in that moment was to feel safe and protected. She needed her dad.

Lucas, obviously not far behind his mother's train of thought, was the first to bow out. "I think I'm, um, just gonna go to bed."

Taking her son's lead, Karen followed. "Yeah, me too." She moved to where her daughter was seated and gave her a gentle and loving kiss on the forehead. "Goodnight sweetie."

"You're transparent you know? Both of you."

They just smiled and left the room.

Cassie's eyes moved back to her father, who was leaning against the kitchen counter, arms crossed, clearly waiting for her façade to break. "Stop looking at me like that."

"Like what?"

She rolled her eyes at his attempt to act as though he didn't know what she was talking about. "Like I'm about to break."

"It's ok to break every once in a while. No-one would blame you after what you've been through."

Cassie shook her head adamantly. "It's not gonna happen."

"You know that I'd never let him hurt you again, right?" Keith took a seat at the table next to his daughter.

She smiled, grateful that he was being so loving and protective. But at the same time she knew that he couldn't promise her that Dan wouldn't get to her. "Dad, you can't be with me every second. And I don't want to go back to having a constant bodyguard."

"I know that but going out alone is too risky right now. I hate that you have to be watched all the time too, but I'm not prepared to take the chance of anything happening to you. It won't be for long. The police will find him."

"Yeah if they're even looking" she muttered sarcastically.

"What do you mean?"

"Dan is the master of blackmail Dad. You saw all the files he had on everyone, including the Chief of Police. How do we even know they didn't let him go on purpose?"

The fact that his brother could have blackmailed his way out of jail wasn't something Keith had considered, but it was certainly a possibility. Not that he would ever admit that to Cassie. "They'll find him. Until then you're not to go out alone. You need to have someone with you at all times. I mean it Cassie. I'll be saying the same to your mom and Lucas."

She stood angrily, causing her chair to topple over as she paced the kitchen, venting her frustration. "This sucks! This really sucks!"

Anger had always been Cassie's way of covering up when she was upset or scared. Keith had seen the same thing when her mother had passed away. Instead of crying and letting the pain out, she had bottled it up and gotten angry at the world, cursing and throwing tantrums. Eventually, about a week or so after the funeral, she had finally broken down in her father's arms. It broke his heart to see her going through the same motions.

He stood from his chair and followed her into the living room, grasping her arm to stop her making a hasty retreat to her own room. He wouldn't let her shut him out this time.

"Cassie stop!"

As he turned her to face him, he noticed that despite her efforts to hide them, tears had formed in her eyes.

"Oh kiddo. Come here." He pulled her into his arms, torn between relief that she wasn't bottling things up, and bitter hatred at his brother for causing them all so much pain. He could only hope with all his heart that wherever Dan was, he was suffering just as much as they were.

………………………………………………………………

It was so dark. Blackness so thick that he couldn't see his own hand held a mere two inches from his face. But he didn't mind so much. There was something about the night that was comforting. Like a blanket folding around him, protecting him, if only for a few hours, from all the horrific realities that came with daylight.

What did bother him though, was the cold. A biting wind blustered through the gaps in the window frames and holes in the walls of the worn down building that was providing his only source of shelter.

Curled up on the tattered remains of a couch with only his torn and still bloodstained jacket to use as a blanket, Dan Scott closed his eyes and wondered how his life had reached this point.

"_Careful little girl. Daddy's not here to protect you this time."_

He knew the voice belonged to him but it was barely recognizable. Brief flashes of memory had been assaulting him intermittently over the afternoon. The doctors had told him that it was likely his memory would return and, having been made aware of the details that were still a mystery to him, had prepared him that not all, if any, would be pleasant.

The first had come earlier that day after his brother had left the hospital.

_He turned up the headlights and pressed his foot harder on the gas pedal, the engine revving nosily in response as the vehicle began to gain speed. Adrenaline coursed through his veins as his brain seemed to detach from his body. _

_Metal clinked against metal as the front bumper of his Yukon made contact with the back of the car ahead of him. The car swerved slightly but quickly righted itself._

_The messing around was over. It was time to make the final move._

_Gunning the engine once more, he swerved to the left and pulled alongside the smaller car. Then, without pausing to think, he yanked the wheel to the right in one swift motion._

_His ears were met with a horrifying yet strangely thrilling crunch as metal made contact with metal once more sending the car at his side careening off the road._

_Slamming on the break, he looked on, a morbid satisfaction shining in his eyes as the car smashed violently into a nearby tree. A vicious smirk settling on his lips, he cast one last glance over his shoulder, before turning up the radio and continuing on his journey home._

The memory had been as vivid as if he were back on the road. Although he had never seen the faces of either of the drivers, he had known immediately that he had been behind the wheel of the Yukon, and that the other driver had been his brother.

It wasn't like his whole memory had been wiped out. Everything up to the fire at the dealership was crystal clear. He wasn't about to kid himself into believing that he was a saint. He knew he'd been an evil son of a bitch previous to that day. But his MO had always been messing with people's minds rather than any kind of physical violence. Every psychopath had their limits after all. He wasn't trying to physically hurt anyone. What fun would that have been?

And it's not like his wife and brother hadn't deserved it. He'd often thought it laughable that he had come off looking like the bad guy yet again despite the fact that it was their infidelity that caused the heart attack that almost claimed his life. Wouldn't any man want revenge?

What scared him now was that it seemed as though any boundaries he had once set himself, seemed to have been long forgotten. After the fire all bets were off. Judging by his brother and niece's reactions to him, he had clearly become a person that even he wouldn't recognise. But the most frustrating part of all was not being able to remember the actions that had caused their hatred towards him.

And so he ran.

It had been almost too easy.

The young officer that had been placed in charge of his care had been naïve enough to buy his Oscar winning performance and had removed the handcuffs.

Handcuffs.

"_Just put her over there on the floor. And what the hell is with the cuffs you idiot? She's a kid, what's she gonna do?"_

"_Here, keep them. You'll get your answer when she wakes up. She may be a kid but she's got a hell of a right hook. Woke up in the van on the way here. Man, I swear she started kickin' and screamin' like nothin' I've ever seen. Put up one hell of a fight. Had to use more stuff than usual to knock her out again." _

No images accompanied the voices this time but the words were enough. He didn't need images to imagine what the voices had been referring to.

Bile rose in his throat and he leapt up from the couch, barely making it to the sink, or what was left of it, in time to empty to contents of his stomach violently.

Once he was confident that there was nothing left to throw up, he sank down to the floor, leaning back against the counter and closing his eyes. Would he ever be able to fully piece together the events that had brought his life crashing down around him? More importantly, did he want to?

……………………………………………………..

He watched the bedspread rise and fall steadily in time with her breathing. She looked so peaceful, sleeping soundly if only for a moment. He had been sitting in the chair by the door for the last hour, as though standing guard, daring anyone who would try to shatter her tranquility. One thing in his mind was certain. He would not fail her this time.

Tiredness was tugging at him and he struggled to keep his eyes open, terrified that falling asleep, even for the briefest of moments would put her in danger.

Before he could drift into a restless slumber, he saw the bedspread shift as she stirred. A pair of sleepy eyes opened ever so slowly and it took her several seconds to gain her focus enough to realise that she wasn't alone.

"Lucas? Her voice was thick with sleep and she rubbed at her eyes as she sat up. To Lucas, she resembled a small child, the picture of innocence, and despite the gravity of the situation, he couldn't help but smile.

"Hey."

"What are you doing? What time is it?"

"A little after three."

He didn't bother to answer her first question, not that he needed to. Cassie raised an eyebrow knowingly at her brother. "You should be in bed. I'm fine Lucas, the doors are locked, the windows are closed, Dan couldn't get in here even if he wanted to."

"I just wanted to make sure. Anyway it's cool I'm not even-" A yawn cut his sentence short, contradicting what he had been about to say.

She laughed and threw back the covers, padding over to where he was sitting and pulling him out of the chair. "Come on big bro. I'll make us some hot chocolate. I think it's called for don't you?"

He followed her to the kitchen and slumped clumsily down at the kitchen table as she set about making the hot beverage.

"So you ready to talk about Dan yet?"

"You ready to talk about Brooke yet?" she shot back.

"Touché." He smirked as she handed him the drink and took a seat next to him.

"Honestly? I'm not sure how I feel. There are so many different things running through my head. Mostly, I'm mad. Things have been going so well lately, for all of us. Mom and Dad are so happy. After all the years they've waited to be together they deserve to enjoy it. And now Mom's pregnant and she really doesn't need the added stress of worrying about all of this. And then there's Nathan. He should be concentrating on basketball and Haley and college. And you shouldn't have to sit up half the night and watch over me." She paused and took a careful sip of the steaming hot drink.

Lucas took a moment to study her carefully before voicing what he knew she was thinking. "It's ok to be scared Cass."

She traced the rim of the mug with her finger and stared into the liquid as though it held the answers to all of life's questions. "Is it? Because it feels pretty selfish to me. I'm not the only person Dan has ever hurt and yet all the attention tonight seemed to be focused on me and how I would take it. Even Detective Reeves couldn't take his eyes off me."

He covered her hand with his own, halting her absent movements. "Dan has messed with a lot of people's lives. Mom's, Dad's, mine, Nathan's…but it was different then because no matter how frustrating or hurtful his words were, they were just words. We all know what he's capable of but up until the fire at the dealership I don't think anyone, not even me, ever imagined that he would go as far as physically hurting someone. The things he's done to you since you came home; the beach, the fire and then everything at the high school… they were a whole other level of screwed up. We could have lost you because of it." He lowered his head, trying to get her to meet his eyes. Satisfied that she was taking in his words, he continued. "So yeah we're all focusing slightly more on keeping you safe than anything else right now. But it's only because we love you, and we don't ever want to come that close to losing you again."

A warm sensation tingled against her cheek and she put her hand up to her face. "Dammit did you have to go and make me cry?" she joked, wiping away the few stray tears that had fought their way loose.

His thoughts turning to another one of the females in his life, the smile dropped from his face. "It's a habit."

……………………………………………………….

A rustling sound woke Peyton from her light sleep. The early morning sun shone brightly through the gaps in the blinds, spraying shafts of light across her face and making it difficult for her to open her eyes. Holding up a hand to shield her face, she squinted and lifted her head, trying to locate the cause of her awakening. Her spirits lifted when she spotted the familiar figure of her best friend in the bathroom. They died just as quickly however, when Peyton noticed that Brooke was throwing more of her stuff into a bag that she had brought with her.

"Brooke…"

"I didn't mean to wake you. I just came for the rest of my stuff." Her tone was tight, her expression blank.

"Can we talk first?"

Pausing for a second, Brooke turned towards her former roommate. "There's not much to talk about."

"There's so much you don't understand Brooke. Please just give me a chance to explain."

"Explain what Peyton? How you kissed my boyfriend? Again? Or how you told him you love him?"

Ok well she certainly had a point there. How exactly could Peyton explain the situation? She knew why she'd kissed Lucas. Just like she knew that she wasn't in love with him. But their history had always been there, and probably always would be. Brooke had never truly gotten over what happened the first time she and Lucas were together. But she had tried to push it aside and give their relationship another chance. Peyton out of everyone, knew just how difficult that had been for her.

"Brooke, please just listen to me. It wasn't what you think. I was bleeding. I thought I was gonna die."

Brooke cut her off angrily. "Right so you thought that since it wasn't likely that you were gonna get out of there it would be ok to make out with my boyfriend. That's great Peyton. I'm really glad I stuck around for this explanation."

"No that's not it I…"

"Do you have any idea how bad I felt for leaving you in that hallway?" Tears sprang to her eyes as she remembered vividly, the sickening fear she felt that day, wondering whether she was ever going to see Peyton alive again. "I stood outside the school that day and I swore that I would never forgive myself if anything happened to you. I mean, after all, you're my best friend right? I should have stayed with you. It was all I could think about. And while I was standing out there, worrying about _you_, you were in the library kissing _my_ boyfriend. Telling him that you love him. So how stupid am I? The night I moved in here we talked about it. And you looked me in the eye and told me that the one thing that made you feel better inside that library was knowing that I was safe. But you really didn't even think about me at all did you?"

Not bothering to wait for an answer, Brooke zipped up her bag and turned towards the door.

"Brooke…" Peyton's voice was merely a whisper as she pleaded with her friend.

"No. I'm not going to listen to your pathetic apologies and excuses. As far as I'm concerned this friendship is over. And if we never speak again for the rest of our lives, that'll be fine." She paused at the door and turned to look at the sobbing girl one last time. "I gave you a second chance Peyton. And you blew it."

…………………………………………………

_A/N – So as you can see I decided to go with bitter, angry Brooke. I thought that it was more realistic than her forgiving Peyton straight away. I know I couldn't. _

_What are your feelings about Dan? Do you think he's really regretting his actions? Or could it all just be part of another game that he's playing?_

_Hope you guys are enjoying it so far. _


	6. Chapter 6

Wow it's been a few years now since I last posted and I guess I owe people a huge apology! I'm always the first to complain when people stop updating a story suddenly so apologies to anyone who was still reading. What can I say, it's been a hectic few years.

Obviously a lot of time has passed on One Tree Hill since I last posted and a lot of people will probably feel that the school days are done and dusted. Having said that, I kinda miss those days and my stories Something of Value and Chasing Daylight were stories that I genuinely loved writing. So for anyone who is still interested.... a new version of Something of Value will be coming soon!

The basic story is the same however the plot and backstory has been completely re-worked. This story will be longer, will include the other characters a lot more, and will have a lot more character development than the last one. My style of writing has changed, but for the better!

So for anyone who is still interested in taking a trip back to the good old days..... watch this space. It may take me some time but I will be back!


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